By the Grace of G-d 10th of Elul, 5745 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to be informed of your forthcoming Summer-University event in the city of Rambam's (Maimonides') birth and in honor of his 850th birthday. May HaShem grant that this good thing be blessed with a full measure of Hatzlachah and be "good for you and good for the world."

I am confident that your gathering will reflect the essential character of a Jewish gathering, namely, that it is not merely an assembly of Jews, but a Jewish assembly - Jewish in thinking, approach, and, above all, in conduct and actions, in keeping with the basic principle of our Torah that "the essential thing is the deed."

It is significant that your Summer-University event is taking place in the current month of Elul, the last month of our Jewish Calendar year, which has been designated by HaShem as a month of special Divine Grace and Mercy, in preparation for the New Year.

The Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and (Rav's) Shulchan Aruch, the founder of Chabad, gives us an insight into the special nature of this month by means of the following parable:

"There is a time when a king goes out to meet his people working in the fields. Then everyone has an opportunity to greet the king personally, and the king receives everyone with a gracious smile and grants everyone’s petition."

Thus, the month of Elul is the auspicious time when every Jew has the opportunity - through honest self-assessment and firm resolve to strengthen one’s commitment to Torah-true living - to assure oneself of a truly happy New Year, both materially and spiritually.

With prayerful wishes for a good and sweet year, and

With esteem and blessing,

M. Schneerson